DUO

An increasing number of foreign teachers want to teach at Dutch schools, the Volkskrant reports based on figures from executive education agency DUO. Teachers from abroad know they have a solid chance of finding a job in the Netherlands due to the increasing teacher shortage in the country.

In 2015 DUO received 742 applications from foreign teachers who wanted their qualifications recognized in the Netherlands. Two years later, that increased by some 300. This year DUO also received over a thousand such requests.

Around 18 thousand primary school teachers in the Netherlands are still unjustly in the lowest salary bracket, despite agreements made with school boards and trade unions to fix this problem in 2008, the Telegraaf reports based on figures from education institute DUO.

The issue of underpaid teachers was already raised in 2008, when agreements were made to help more teachers rise to a higher pay bracket. In that year it was agreed that by 2014 at least 40 percent would be in a higher pay bracket.

The teachers at four out of five primary schools in the Netherlands do not talk about the color of Zwarte Piet and do not ask themselves whether appearance of the controversial character may be hurtful to some children, according a study by DUO Onderwijsonderzoek & Advies, ANP reports.

A number of immigrants in the Netherlands who previously passed a state exam for integration, were surprised by two extra tests they need to pass before getting an indefinite residency permit, the Volkskrant reported on Monday. The foundation for refugee students UAF received multiple complaints about this over the summer.

More than half of Dutch students loan more money from educational services department DUO than they need for their studies, according to a study Nibud published on Friday. Of these students, half loaned more money to save up for when they are done studying. The low interest rates on student loans is one reason for doing so, according to the researchers, NU.nl reports.

Public transit card company Translink passed on the travel data of dozens of students to government education service DUO so far this year, the Volkskrant reported on Tuesday. The data is used to check that the students are not claiming higher allowances than their due by saying they no longer live with their parents while they still do. Travelers' organization Maatschappij voor Beter OV feels that DUO is violating privacy rules, according to the newspaper.

The number of former Dutch students having problems paying the monthly repayment on their student loans is approaching 100 thousand, education agency DUO confirmed to NU.nl. Their income is too low for a mandatory monthly installment to be imposed on them, according to the news site.

In 2009 around 30 thousand former students could not afford to pay the monthly installment on their study loans. In 2015 that increased to around 90 thousand and last year the number was close to 100 thousand. Final figures are not available yet.

Last year a total of 54.720 students repeated a year in high school or failed their final exam, according to figures from education agency DUO. That amounts to 5.7 percent of the total number of high school students, compared to 5.4 percent the previous year, AD reports

The increase in the number of repeaters is a break with the downward trend that started in 2012. Between 2012 and 2015 the number of repeaters fell from 6.5 percent of high school students to 5.4 percent.

The national student loan debt is at its highest level ever, according to figures from education organization DUO. In total students and former students currently owe 17.6 billion euros to the state, compared to 12 billion euros five years ago, the Telegraaf reports.

Many teachers in the Netherlands feel they have to avoid talking about sensitive topics such as sexual orientation and religion in their classrooms, according to a study by DUO. So-called Islamization and terrorist organization ISIS in particular are topics to be avoided. The teachers blame failed integration for this, ANP reports.

Government sites DigiD and MijnOverheid.nl are currently unavailable due to a technical fault. The sites went offline just before noon, NU.nl reports.

If you try logging into DigiD you are met with a message saying that DigiD is currently unavailable due to a fault. The same message can be seen on DigiD's Twitter feed. Logging into MijnOverheid.nl is also impossible, and there are problems with logging into the sites of the Tax Authorities, DUO and benefits agency UWV.

Complaint site Allestoringen.nl received hundreds of complaints, according to NOS.

An increasing number of Dutch primary schools are switching over to the so-called continuous timetable, in which kids aren't sent home for lunch, instead staying at school for a short break and then going home earlier. Currently only about half of primary schools are still using the traditional timetable, the Volkskrant reports based on a survey by DUO, NU.nl reports..

Inequality in education in the Netherlands increased over the past years, according to a study done by DUO Education Research. The increasing inequality is more significant in high schools than in primary schools, ANP reports.

The study was done among more than 2,200 school principals and teachers in primary and secondary educations. 18 percent of the secondary education principals and teachers indicated that a growing number of children are getting fewer opportunities at their schools. Among primary schools it was 12 percent.

For the first time ever the interest rate on study loans is dropping to 0 percent next year, a spokesperson for education executive agency DUO confirmed to NU.nl.

Students who finish their studies this year will not have to pay interest on their study loans for the next five years. The 0 percent interest rate also applies to former students who are starting a new fixed interest period of five years in 2017.

About 120 thousand former students were fined a total of 56 million euros in 2014 and 2015 because the neglected to cancel their free public transport subscription after they graduated. That equates to an average of about 500 euros in fines for each forgetful former student, according to figures the Volkskrant got from education agency DUO.

Nearly 10 thousand teachers at elementary- and high schools fell victim to physical violence from students and parents during the previous school year, according to a survey done by AD and DUO among teachers..

An increasing number of higher education students live at home with their parents. Of all the students registered at a higher education institution on January 1st this year, 67.8 percent still lived at home, compared to 60.6 percent in 2012, according to figures from education institution DUO

Experts have analyzed data collected from Education Executive Agency (DUO), and have come to the conclusion that thousands of immigrants will not achieve their integration exam before the deadline of January 1, 2016, BNR reports. New Civic law that was passed in January 2013 states that 10,000 immigrants through the integration exam.

Graduating without debt is becoming increasingly difficult for students now that the basic study grant is being abolished. This has left parents with the question of whether they give their kids extra financial help, or let the study loan debts run up. Many parents can not afford the extra financial h

Government internet connectivity issues have forced the temporary stoppage of the Dutch integration exam, affecting hundreds of people who already made plans to take the test. At least 716 people are known to have registered for the exam which must often be taken in the person’s country of origin, meaning the registrants have lost out on money spent for travel arrangements.

Due to a lack of well-paying jobs, a growing number of graduates are having difficulty paying off their student loans. According to a report from Dutch Education Executive Agency (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, DUO), there were more than 93,000 students who were not able to settle the debt last year, an increase of 76 percent over five years, De Volkskrant reports.

Minister Jet Bussemaker of Education states that student loan abuse needs to be tackled more efficiently. In a letter to Parliament, she pointed out that stricter controls will be imposed on abuse of grants for students living away from home.